ABSTRACT
Despite widespread calls for the application of multi-disciplinary, multi-method approaches to the study of work related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) the majority of studies to date remain entrenched within a single perspective (see, Norman, 1994; Sauter & Wanson, 1996 and Fordyce, 1996). A further criticism which might be levelled at research in this area relates to an apparent over emphasis on reductionist approaches, based upon extensions of the traditional biomedical model (Hockling, 1996). It is perhaps surprising that, while there is increasing recognition of the importance of social phenomena within this context, so many studies remain fundamentally asocial in their method, failing to take the unit of study beyond the individual.
